The Eighth Year Universe
Love Wins
Show Me All the Scars You Hide
The chapter title comes from the song:
Stand By You by Rachel Platten.
Blacknot Castle
Hermione was gardening because it helped focus her mind. She supposed Neville had been right back in their Hogwarts days. He had always taught her that being in the greenhouse or a garden was therapeutic.
And Hermione did feel the pressure on her shoulders; she was ambitious and driven. But she was also the first openly magical MP, and it was nerve-wracking.
This new magical and non-magical administration was quite exciting, and a large part of that involved their governments working together. Draco and the Muggle Minister had worked together to create a new role within the Muggle Ministry – Minister of Magic, the direct link between the Muggle world and the Minister for Magic.
Draco had asked her to take the job, and she had readily agreed, but the prospect was still moderately terrifying.
A loud crack made her jump, but she realised that it was just a house-elf.
"Lady Hermione, Mrs, there is being two Muggles at the gate."
Hermione frowned and got to her feet. She walked towards the gate and saw them through it, even though they couldn't see her. She smiled slightly and unlocked the gate, also changing the wards so that they could see the castle, not a ruin.
"Wow, a high-level masking charm of some sort?"
"Something like that," Hermione replied as she looked at her cousin, "Hey Johnathon, Bradley – how did you get here?"
Bradley grinned, "Road trip."
Bradley had always been Johnathon's 'flat-mate' in Hermione's mother's eyes, but when the two men got married, she had to face the fact that her perception wasn't quite right there. Hermione had always liked Johnny, though. He was her cousin who had the most sense and intellect.
"What are you doing up here?" Hermione asked them in disbelief.
"Uh, because you're a Witch, and you didn't tell us."
Hermione smiled slightly, "You've seen me on the news?"
"Yes, Hermione," Johnathon said, "We've seen you on the news – first magical MP, on the breakfast news with one of your husbands."
Hermione chuckled and shook her head, "Do you know what? I won't even deny it. That's basically what Theo is, my second husband."
"Two husbands," Johnathon tutted.
"And they're both gorgeous. It's entirely unfair," Bradley added with a grin.
Hermione laughed and said, "Come on in and have some tea. It's nice to be able to invite you in."
"Without squirrelling away the black cat that talks?" Bradley asked.
Hermione shot him an amused look as they walked up the path together, "We do have three cats, but they don't talk, I hate to break it to you."
"Do you make deals with the devil?" Bradley asked.
Johnathon rolled his eyes, "Brads, just because you're obsessed with Sabrina, it doesn't make it real."
Hermione bit her lip in amusement. In a way, they reminded her of Draco and Theo when they bickered.
"Yes, but Mione, please tell me Sabrina is real," Bradley practically begged.
They had reached the door into the entrance hall, so Hermione stopped and turned around, "I have never watched that show, so I have no idea how real it is. But before I let you in the castle, I need to prepare you for a couple of things - "
Before she could continue, Theo jogged down the stairs, "Hermione! I need your help with a potion. I can't figure out which component I'm missing and – Johnny, Bradley!"
Johnny and Bradley both waved at Theo, who looked at Hermione, "Uh….did you know we were having visitors?"
"No, but they saw me on the news and showed up," Hermione said. She gave Theo an amused look.
"Ah, that makes sense," Theo said with a nod, "Well, fair enough. They'll pass out if you let them in here without making the place Muggle safe, though."
Hermione glanced from Theo to her cousin and his husband, "I think they're open-minded enough not to freak out."
"Alright," Theo shrugged, "But guys, prepare yourselves. There are going to be little green guys with big ears walking about. They look kind of like Yoda and don't like people much, so if they scream and run away, it's not you; it's them."
Hermione bit her lip as Theo launched into his explanation, which was full of references to popular Muggle culture.
"The portraits can move and talk. They don't hurt anyone, but some of them are incredibly bitchy. Draco's grandfather is very critical of other people's clothing choices for a start. He's going to hate those jeans," Theo motioned at Bradley's ripped jeans, "And that jumper," he added, gesturing to Johnathon's rainbow patterned designer jumper.
"In the library, sometimes books fly off shelves and hit you in the head if they want you to read them," Theo continued, "Oh, and Draco is out the back flying on a broom which is totally normal. We don't fly them through the night cackling like in your kids' books. We do use them for a sport called Quidditch."
"Quidditch?" Johnny asked.
Hermione nodded, "Think basketball, in the air – with three hoops."
"Six hoops, Hermione."
"Shut up. Theodore."
Johnathon grinned, "As bad with your own sports as our ones then, yeah?"
"Merlin, yeah," Theo muttered, "Oh man, feels nice to say that without you slapping me, Hermione."
"Is Merlin your god then?" Johnathon asked eagerly.
"Uh, no," Hermione replied. She gave Theo an exasperated look, "It's just a similar turn of phrase."
"This is so cool," Bradley breathed.
Theo chuckled, "Also, I'm making a potion downstairs, so if you hear a bang, it's probably because I fucked it up. Oh, and ignore the screaming in the attic. That's just your friendly neighbourhood ghoul."
"What, like Caspar?" Bradley asked eagerly.
Theo snorted, "No, Caspar was far more literate. This guy speaks in grunts, screams and bangs occasionally."
Bradley grinned at that, "Mione, your life is so cool!"
Hermione laughed and led them into the house, "Come on in for a cup of tea, and Theo, please don't leave a potion brewing unsupervised. I don't want you to blow up half the basement again."
Theo grinned, and then Abraxas Malfoy chimed in with his opinion, just as Theo had predicted.
He scoffed, "Bad enough letting Muggles in here," he muttered, his eyes raking over the two Muggles in question.
"But these fools can't even dress themselves! Excuse me, young man, your jeans need to be sown."
Bradley grinned in amusement, "Uh, they're supposed to be like that, sir. It's the fashion."
Abraxas gave him a disdainful look, "Fashion," he muttered with a shake of his head, "And honestly, wearing the rainbow. What next?"
"It's the pride flag, actually," Johnny spoke.
"The pride of what?" Abraxas asked.
Hermione shot Theo an exasperated look, but Theo grinned because he loved winding the portraits up.
"Uh, homosexuality, I guess," Bradley replied. He motioned between himself and Johnny, "We're gay and married."
"Married?" Abraxas scoffed, "Two gentlemen?"
Theo rolled his eyes, "Abraxas, you spent your entire life shagging my grandfather. Don't act all high and mighty now."
Abraxas made an undignified noise, and Theo shot an amused look at Johnny and Bradley, "My grandfather moved his entire manor house a few counties over and built a tunnel between his manor and Abraxas Malfoy's here."
"You see where Draco and Theo get it from," Hermione grinned.
Bones Manor
It had been far too long since Daphne and Susan had spent a night drinking wine and catching up. There had been a lot to catch up on, mainly in Daphne's life.
They had just finished a bottle and gone through Lydia and Nina's saga. Susan had listened dutifully and swore at all the right moments.
"And now my mother is sleeping with Lucinda Smith in my house," Daphne finished as Susan opened the second bottle of wine.
Susan snorted, "She's perfectly entitled to sleep with whoever she wants, you know? She is a grown woman."
"I know, but she's also my mother," Daphne pointed out, "And I don't want to know what she's doing with Lucinda Smith in my house."
"Probably the same things you do to Lilly in that house," Susan retorted.
Daphne gave her best friend an exasperated look, "That's not the point."
Susan smirked and sipped her wine, "It kind of is, though."
Daphne shook her head and changed the subject, "Speaking of sex, I'm guessing that's something that's good with Caroline?"
Susan laughed like the idea of it not being great was hilarious.
"Uh, yes, it's incredible. You've slept with a Healer, so you'll get it. They have skilled hands," Susan smirked.
Daphne laughed and said, "I taught Lilly everything she knows."
"Yes, she was straight before she met you," Susan said with a chuckle, "Unlike you, you were definitely not straight before Lilly."
"No," Daphne laughed, "You know, I think my first crush might have been you, actually."
Susan chuckled, "Yeah, you were mine too."
Daphne sipped her wine, "There's at least one universe out there where you and I ended up together."
"Hm, the one with the pureblood assassinations where you were a hot curse breaker, and I was the head of the DMLE?"
Daphne grinned at her friend, "In every reality, I'm a hot curse breaker, and you're always in some sort of position of authority."
Susan snorted, "That's enough said about that."
They laughed, then Daphne kicked her feet out and asked, "So, when are you and Caroline getting married?"
"Next year sometime," Susan said with a shrug, "July or August, probably."
"Are you going to get married here?" Daphne asked curiously.
Susan sipped her wine, then shook her head, "No… I married Percy here, and we built our lives around the kids in this house. It's…I don't mind Caroline living here, but no, I don't want to marry her here."
Daphne grabbed Susan's hand, "I understand that, and I'm sure Caroline does too."
"Of course she does, she's an empath," Susan said. She gave Daphne an amused look, "She understands everything. Sometimes I just want to shake her and say stop being so nice!"
Daphne laughed, "I feel like that about Lilly, sometimes. Things are always just nice with us, you know? We don't fight very often, but Harry and I are always at each other's throats for something. It makes for incredible sex, though."
"Oh, I know," Susan said. She shot Daphne an amused glance, "I've heard about all the places in Potter Manor you two have had sex."
Daphne laughed and kicked Susan playfully, "Where are you getting married then?"
"I don't actually know yet," Susan admitted, "We haven't discussed it that much. I've just been focused on getting through that at the moment."
She motioned to the large board in front of them. That was how they had sunk the first bottle of wine, bitching about Lareina and talking about Lydia and Nina while working on Susan's Hogsmeade relocation problem.
As Daphne had said, it was just like a wedding seating plan, so it hadn't taken her very long to find new premises that suited everyone's requirements, and Susan was incredibly grateful for her help.
"Well, now that's done, you should start thinking about it," Daphne said, "And that's an order from your maid of honour."
Susan nodded thoughtfully, "If all goes well, Nova can be the flower girl, I suppose."
Daphne frowned, "Who on earth is Nova?"
"Oh," Susan looked up, "I haven't told you about this yet, shit, sorry. Nova is a three-year-old girl who Caroline and I are considering adopting."
Daphne's eyes almost popped out of her head, "What?"
Susan nodded, "Addison's friend, Sienna, she died in the Diagon Alley attack. Nova is her daughter, and Addison and Natasha aren't ready for a commitment like that, so Caroline and I are discussing it."
"Adopting?" Daphne asked sceptically, "So soon?"
Susan gave Daphne a disbelieving look, "This, coming from you, seriously?"
"I'm just saying!" Daphne objected, "You and Caroline have been friends for a long time, but raising a child together is a big commitment!"
"I know. I did it with Percy twice," Susan cut in irritably.
"That was different. You'd been together for a year or two. You were married," Daphne pointed out, "You and Caroline have only been together for a few months."
Susan laughed, "You literally got married then adopted Teddy when you were 19, so you cannot judge."
"We'd been together for longer than you and Caroline," Daphne argued.
"Not by much!" Susan exclaimed, "When you and Harry got married, you'd been together for just over a year."
"And you and Caroline have been together for six months?" Daphne said pointedly, "Literally half the time."
"But I'm happy!" Susan said, and they had started yelling because their argument had drawn Caroline downstairs. She'd been having a nap upstairs, having just come off a 12-hour shift a few hours before Daphne dropped by for drinks.
"And after all the ribbing you gave me in the decade after Percy died for being miserable and not getting out there enough, I thought you would have been happy for me too!"
"I am happy for you!" Daphne exclaimed, "I just don't think you should rush into marriage and adoption!"
Caroline stepped in between them and used some of her empath magic to send a wave of calm over them both.
"Guys, come on, you're best friends, act like it."
Susan glared at Daphne, "I would if she was more supportive."
"Oh sweet Salazar," Daphne muttered, "You're so impulsive!"
Caroline raised an eyebrow at Susan, then looked from her to Daphne, "Are you two always like this?"
"Yes!" They both snapped irritably, each woman glaring at the other.
Caroline shook her head, "Do I have to go into therapist mode?"
"Oh, so that's what does it for Susan?" Daphne jibed.
"Oh, shut up, Daphne," Susan retorted irritably, "See this? This is why you and I only ended up together in one universe, one where you lived in another fucking country!"
"Ladies," Caroline said, holding up a hand, "You two have been best friends for over two decades, so let's just remember that, take a deep breath and calm down."
Daphne replied sarcastically, "Sorry, Caroline, condescending healer might turn Susan on, but it doesn't do it for me."
Caroline raised an eyebrow at Daphne, "No, I suppose demanding Healer does though. I know what they say about Trauma Healers and their personas in the bedroom."
Susan looked at Caroline in surprise, "That was bitchy."
"Yes, Susan, I can be bitchy when I need to be," Caroline said, her eyes still on Daphne, "And I think Marchioness Potter over here needs to get the hell off her high horse."
Susan was staring at Caroline in disbelief because Caroline was so nice all of the time, like she had just said to Daphne.
Daphne smirked and sat back down, "The view is pretty sweet from this high horse you mentioned, sweetie."
Caroline gave her a long look, "Don't call me sweetie like I'm one of the clients you charm with your good looks and your charming wit. I can see through all of your airs and graces to your traumatic childhood, so it won't work on me."
Daphne's smirk widened, and she sipped her wine, "Fair enough."
In disbelief, Susan looked from her fiancé to her best friend, "Fair enough? You're leaving it there?"
"Of course she is," Caroline remarked with an amused smile, "She was testing me."
Susan looked at Daphne, "What? Why would you do that?"
"To make sure I'm good enough for you, clearly," Caroline said.
She looked at Daphne and raised an eyebrow, "So, do I pass the test?"
Daphne smiled and held out a hand to Caroline, "Yes, you do. Despite how nice you appear on the outside, you're Jack Sumner's daughter, and that shows. You care about the people you love and protect them, just like he did."
Caroline smiled sadly, "Thank you, but test or not, that was mean."
Daphne poured her a glass of wine and held it out, "Can we call this an olive branch?"
Caroline took the glass of wine and sat down next to Susan, "Tell me about this other universe where you two ended up together, and we'll call it quits."
"No," Susan muttered, "You don't want to hear this story. She went to some crackpot shrink in Paris and - "
"And it was legit. You know it was!" Daphne objected, "Things I saw in that other universe actually happened in this one, like Lucia Cross."
Caroline cocked her head and said, "There is some truth in the theory that all universes cross into each other. For every decision you make, there's a pocket dimension where you made the other one."
"You watch too much tv," Susan said, but she smiled so fondly at Caroline that it made Daphne smile too.
Caroline rolled her eyes and looked over at Daphne, "What was Susan like in that universe?"
"Hot, authoritative, you know, exactly the same as she is in this one," Daphne said with a wave of her hand, "And I was a hot curse breaker, of course."
"Of course," Caroline said, maybe a little condescendingly.
Susan rolled her eyes and topped up her wine glass. She had a feeling she was going to need a lot more wine if these two were going to become friends, after all.
London
Andrea was lying in bed after an awful day at work. She had been shadowing Lilly all day, and she had been so strict and so mean. It made Andrea miserable, especially because she totally idolised her aunt and watching how good she was, Andrea had no idea how she could emulate that.
So, instead of lying in her dorm alone, feeling miserable, she grabbed the pink sparkly mirror on her bedside table that had a diamonte 'A' on it. In Egypt, Ella had an identical one with an 'E'. She and Alastor had two-way mirrors as well, but those were silver.
She had spoken to him last night, and he had told her that Aunt Lilly would be mean until she earned her respect as a Healer, not as a person. As right as it was, it hadn't helped.
But when Ella's face appeared in Andrea's mirror, it brightened her day. She was smiling and looking brilliantly tanned and more beautiful than ever.
"Hey, Ells."
"Hey, Andie. How're things?"
"Awful," Andrea replied, "Aunt Lilly hates me."
Ella laughed, "I don't think she does, though."
"She does," Andrea said glumly, "She's so mean to me."
"She's your boss!" Ella exclaimed in amusement, "Did you really think it was all gonna be sunshine and rainbows?"
Through the mirror, Andrea glared at her best friend, "I hate you, and I miss you."
"Yeah, I love you too," Ella said with an easy smile, "But seriously, things will get better. She's got to be mean to you because otherwise, it's favouritism. That's why my mother is being such a bitch to Cas at school."
"That and he's as shit at Astronomy as Thea is," Andrea added.
Ella snorted in amusement, "That too. Reckon those two are snogging all over Hogwarts yet?"
"Oh, I dunno," Andrea chuckled, "But it's only a matter of time, isn't it?"
Ella nodded and bit into something.
"What the hell are you eating?"
"Oh, it's an Egyptian thing," Ella said with a shrug, "Dried seeds and nuts or something, I don't know. My friend Carina had me try it out, and it's good."
"Carina," Andrea echoed, "The French one?"
Ella shook her head, "No, that's Marinette, Carina's from Italy."
"Oh, yeah," Andrea nodded, "So is she like your best friend?"
"No, you dumbass," Ella said; she smiled at Andrea, "You're my best friend for life, remember?"
"We made that stupid pact when we were 11."
"I don't care; it's still valid," Ella said with a shrug, "Anyways, it's different with Carina. You know you're like my sister, and it's totally platonic, right?"
Andrea raised an eyebrow at her, "And it isn't with Carina?"
Ella's cheeks flushed a little, "I mean, she's hot and her accent…."
Andrea laughed out loud, "And everyone thought I was the one who'd end up with a girl."
Ella made a face, "Oh, shut up. How are things with you and Freddie anyway?"
Andrea's face fell, and Ella noticed straight away.
"Shit, that bad?"
"I don't know," Andrea sighed, "I mean, I just don't see it lasting, you know? I want it to, but he's a dragon tamer, and there aren't any dragons in Britain."
"To be fair, once you're fully qualified, you can go anywhere," Ella pointed out, "People have babies in every country, and there are children everywhere."
"Yeah, and do you see him just waiting it out for me for the next three years until I'm fully qualified?" Andrea asked in disbelief, "I mean, he's a good guy, but he's not a fucking saint, Ella."
Ella snorted, "No, he's a man, so that's true."
"Seriously? You get a crush on one girl and now all men are scum?" Andrea joked.
"All men were scum before I had a crush on Carina, to be fair," Ella pointed out, "Ever since Noah Wood broke my heart, all men have been scum."
Andrea nodded thoughtfully, "I always said you were too good for him."
"I know you did," Ella said with a fond smile, "But come on, do you really think Freddie will abandon you for some dragons?"
"Uh, yes, I do," Andrea said, "Because he loves dragons, and stupid me actually liked that about him. It was cute, you know? But now he'll probably leave, and I'll be here, and that will be that."
"Well," Ella said slowly, "If that does happen, at least the sex was good while it lasted."
"Ella!"
Ella grinned at her best friend, "Take my big sister's advice. Almina always says that if the person is the one, everything else will fall into place, so just like, have faith, I guess?"
"Great advice, Ells," Andrea said with a chuckle.
Ella fought a yawn and said, "Ugh, I should go because I have an early class tomorrow, but I just can't be fucked, Andie. There's this one class we share with a bunch of other students, and all they want to do is talk about my dad."
She rolled her eyes, "Like oh – em- gee! Is your dad really Draco Black? He's like so amazing! And I just want to die."
Andrea grinned, "Welcome to my life. Now you know what it's like."
"Having a famous father sucks," Ella agreed.
Andrea nodded her agreement, "Go to sleep, Ells. You look like shit."
"You look worse!"
"I love you!"
"I miss you!"
They ended the call, and Andrea somehow felt better and worse. She sighed and threw herself back down on her bed.
She really did miss her best friend.
Devon
Nina was tapping her foot repetitively while Almina put her earrings on, and Teddy grabbed the cloaks.
"Babe," Nick said, kneeling at her level, "Stop freaking out; it's just Teddy's family."
"Which is also my family now," Nina said pointedly, but she let Nick pull her to her feet.
"We're married; they've been your family for months," Nick said. He gave her an amused smile, "You're panicking about meeting Lareina, aren't you?"
"Of course I am!" Nina exclaimed, "She's probably expecting some perfect long lost granddaughter to replace the daughter she lost, and I don't know if I can be that, Nick."
"Then it's a good thing that's not what she's expecting," Teddy said. He stepped into the room, threw Nick's coat at him, and then helped Nina into hers.
She was five months pregnant now and only just beginning to show. As a midwife, she knew that first-time mothers didn't show until quite late in the pregnancy. When she was lying in bed, it was evident that she had a bump, but nobody had noticed anything over her clothes unless she told them that she was pregnant.
But she could feel every little change inside her body; she was hyper-aware and constantly getting Lilly to check on the baby. Lilly understood completely and never said no. After all, she understood how hard it was to be a midwifery Healer and an expectant mother.
Teddy took her hand, drawing Nina out of her thoughts.
"She doesn't expect anything from you, Nina," Teddy said softly, "She just wants to meet you, so stop putting pressure on yourself and treat this as if it were any other family dinner, okay?"
Nick nodded and grabbed Nina's other hand, "You've been to hundreds of them."
Nina took a breath and nodded, then Almina stepped out of the bedroom and smiled, "Are we ready to go then?"
The two men looked at Nina, and she managed a small smile.
"Yes, I think we are."
Potter Manor
Lareina was pacing, and she hadn't touched the glass of wine that Daphne had set down on the table for her half an hour ago, which was very unlike her.
"Mum," Daphne said, cutting through her mother's thoughts.
Lareina looked over, "Hm?"
"She will love you," Daphne said, and Harry looked up in surprise. It was rare to see the softer side of Daphne around Lareina, but he had seen it more since their trip to France.
Lareina shook her head and laughed bitterly, "Why should she? I am sure you had less than complimentary things to say about me, and that will have been passed on to Nina through Teddy."
"No," Daphne said calmly, "Because I decided a long time ago that I would not colour my children's opinions with my own. All that Teddy knows is what he heard when he joined the Auror department, and that was that we hadn't spoken since you went to prison."
Lareina looked down, "Then she knows why I went to prison."
Daphne bowed her head, "Yes, and she knows that you were manipulated into that abysmal decision you made by Lotus Cauldwell."
Lareina sighed, and Harry cut in, "Lareina, just….give Nina the benefit of the doubt because that's exactly what she will give you. I honestly cannot tell you enough how much I love Nina. She is so kind. I have never met anyone who embodies Helga Hufflepuff more."
"You said that," Lareina said quietly, "At her wedding."
Harry bowed his head, "And I meant it."
Before Lareina could say anything else, the floo whirred to life, and the Potter-Wolfe's made their way through the fireplace into the drawing-room.
Lareina hung back while Harry and Daphne greeted them. Harry stepped forward and patted Nick on the back, then hugged Teddy and asked them about work. Daphne kissed Almina on the cheek and hugged Nina, asking, "Is there a bump yet?"
Nina laughed and undid the button on her coat, "A tiny one."
"That means the baby will be a girl," Daphne said sagely.
Almina laughed, "That's an old wives tale, Aunt Daphne."
"It was right with both of my girls," Daphne pointed out.
Teddy snorted, "No, you had Aunt Lilly secretly tell you the gender."
Harry laughed and gently pulled Lareina forward, "Nick, Nina, I don't believe you have met Lareina."
Nick shook his head and instinctively wrapped his arm around Nina, "No, we haven't," he offered Lareina a polite smile.
But Lareina wasn't paying any attention to him. Her eyes were on Nina, who looked up and met them with a nervous smile.
"Hi."
Lareina smiled tearfully, "I'm sorry, it's just…."
She swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "Your hair is lighter, and your eyes are blue, but your face…you look so much like her."
Nina swallowed, "My mother?"
Lareina could only nod.
Nina took a step forward, "Could you….do you think you could tell me about her?"
Lareina smiled tearfully, "Of course I can, darling."
They sat down by the fire together, and Daphne smiled at the other three, "Who wants wine?"
"Oh, please," Almina said with a breath of relief.
Teddy chuckled and said, "Wine sounds great, Mum."
"Whiskey, Nick?"
Nick grinned, "Always."
Daphne smiled and went to fetch the drinks, casting her gaze toward her mother and Nina as she did so.
It was in the small actions but Daphne truly believed that the world was trying to right itself. As Tracey had always said, what was meant for you wouldn't pass you by, and some people were just destined to cross your path.
It was written in the stars.
The Burrow
Sunday dinners had changed quite a bit lately. For a start, the Muggle farmer from down the road came along with his wife at least once a month.
But often, so did the cousins who Charlie hadn't seen since he was a kid. He and Bill enjoyed catching up with Sam, their Uncle Charlus's eldest son. His younger brother Humphrey sometimes came along too, but Charlie could tell they missed Mafalda, their younger sister, even when they pretended to be okay.
And he didn't blame them. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Ginny.
Charlie leant back in his armchair and casually threw an arm over Astoria's shoulder. She looked at him and murmured, "What's wrong with Freddie?"
Charlie sought out Ron's oldest son, following his wife's line of sight. He was sitting in the corner by himself, brooding.
"He's been like that all day," Astoria added in a whisper.
"I don't know," Charlie muttered in response, "But I'll find out."
He pushed himself to his feet and crossed the room to perch on the edge of Freddie's armchair, "You okay, kiddo?"
Freddie shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine, Uncle Charlie."
"Yeah?" Charlie asked.
Freddie nodded glumly.
"How come you look like someone's killed your favourite dragon then?" Charlie asked bluntly.
Freddie sighed, "Just don't mention dragons, alright?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow, "So it's about dragons, huh?"
"Dragons and girls," Freddie replied miserably.
Charlie snorted, "Then it's definitely my area of expertise. Come on, let's go for a walk."
"Uncle Charlie, I don't really - "
"Shit, sorry, did I phrase it as a question?" Charlie asked, giving the boy a pointed look, "We're walking, come on."
Freddie rolled his eyes but got to his feet and stepped out into the cold evening with his uncle. October was moving into November, and it was getting bitter out here, even this far south.
Charlie shoved his hands into his pockets, "So… dragons and girls?"
Freddie leant against the stone wall of the Burrow, "Yeah. I love what I do, and I love Andie. The only problem is that Andie is here, and the dragons aren't."
"Hm." Charlie nodded, "So it's a choice – dragons or the girl?"
Freddie nodded, "I got offered a pretty good deal, but I'm signing up for three seasons in Romania if I sign the contract."
Charlie was quiet, then he nodded again, "Yeah, I've been there. They sign you on for multiple seasons, and you get a better deal. It's fine if you know that's what you wanna do forever, but it isn't fine when you have a girl waiting at home."
Freddie looked over at him, "You never did though, did you? Not before you met Aunt Astoria."
Charlie looked down at his feet, "No, I had a girl, but I chose the dragons over her and….honestly, Freddie, it was the biggest mistake of my life, so if you want my advice, even though I know you didn't ask for it, I'd say pick the girl."
Freddie bit his lip.
"Always pick the girl," Charlie said with a nod, "Because dragons will always be there, but the girl won't be. You might think, it's only three seasons, maybe we'll be able to pick up where we left off when I get back. You might think, maybe she'll forgive me, maybe she'll focus on her career, and it will be fine."
Charlie sighed and closed his eyes, "Then you come home, and she's married and pregnant. And before you get a chance to make it right or even give her a decent fucking apology, she's dead."
Freddie frowned slightly, "This situation…. isn't entirely hypothetical, is it?"
"No," Charlie said. He sighed again, "It's what happened to me. I fucked it up, I royally fucked it up, and if I could go back, I would have made a different choice."
Freddie nodded.
"So if you love her," Charlie finished, "If you're sure that she's it, that you're never gonna find another her, then you choose her."
With a deep breath, Freddie nodded, "Okay."
"And," Charlie said, he pushed himself off the wall.
"I'm fucking pissed off about the lack of dragons in this country, and as the Head of the Department for the Care and Protection of Magical Creatures, I can tell you that our priority is gonna be opening a dragon reserve on St Kilda."
Freddie looked at him in disbelief, "Seriously?"
"Seriously," Charlie said. He kicked the door into the lounge open and pointed at Freddie, "So pick the damn girl!"
- TBC -
